The present invention relates to ultrasonic imaging of a workpiece to locate and analyze features in a workpiece for evaluating the quality of the workpiece. For example in analyzing a weldment, the analysis is enhanced by combining certain imaging features to assist in identifying the location of the basemetal to weld interface, the weld thickness and location of toe, the basemetal thickness, the location of the external surface geometry, and to do this from both sides of the weld; ostensibly to locate defects of any size and orientation. More specifically, to do so using sonic technology.
Commercial ultrasonic imaging equipment, such as the UTV-400 by Sierra Matrix, the IntraSpect 98 and others conventionally uses A-, B-, Bxe2x80x2- and C-scans for evaluation of work pieces. Some of the prior art related to this field are:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,026: ULTRASONIC IMAGING SYSTEM;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,844: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRASONIC IMAGING AND ULTRASONIC IMAGE PROCESSING;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,040: ULTRASONIC IMAGE RECORDING METHOD AND SYSTEM;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,738: ENDOSCOPIC METHOD and APPARATUS INCLUDING ULTRASONIC B-SCAN IMAGING; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,471: ULTRASONIC IMAGING SYSTEM CAPABLE OF DISPLAYING 3-DIMENSIONAL ANGIOGRAM IN REAL TIME MODE.
The present invention is an ultrasonic imaging method and system that speeds-up and accurately evaluates the quality of a workpiece using ultrasonic responses and operator entered data to enhance the quality of workpiece evaluation. The present invention includes a multichannel ultrasonic imaging system to obtain and display a combination of processed ultrasonic responses from reflectors within the workpiece to locate, classify and isolate the various ultrasonic responses. This is accomplished by the technique of the present invention for creating a combined image from the ultrasonic responses of the multiplicity of transducers to aid in the accuracy, speed and confidence in the results.
The present invention uses the scanning position of two or more ultrasonic transducers and the ultrasonic response received from reflectors within the workpiece (or workspace, as the case may for air or water) to form a superimposed B-scan using specially processed data from the ultrasonic transducers and from auxiliary measurements of the workpiece.